Mitsubishi Reviews

This model Pajero is a bit notorious for having a crank-angle sensor that can fail over time. This is the part of the engine that tells the computer which cylinder needs to fire next, and precisely when, and if it starts to fail, that information is not conveyed and the engine will stall.

This sensor can fail gradually and intermittently too, producing the sort of hit and miss running you’re seeing now. It will often start to fail once the engine gets hot, and perhaps that’s why your car is stalling after running for a short time.

The bottom line is to not ignore it as it won’t fix itself and will eventually get worse until the car won’t start at all. At which point, you’re stranded where ever you happen to be. It shouldn’t cost too much to replace the sensor, but a mechanic should be able to tell you if, indeed, this is the problem.

It’s amazing where rainwater will get to under the influence of a pressure difference between the inside and outside of the car, not to mention a 100km/h gale trying to blow everything inside the car. As such, you only need a tiny tear or crease in a door rubber for water to enter the car. And if it enters somewhere near the driver’s seat, that’s where it will stay when it hits the carpet.

Check the rubber seal in the door opening for any signs of damage or a small chunk missing. Even a piece of leaf debris stuck to the rubber can allow a gap big enough for water to enter. Make sure, too, that the door itself is properly aligned on its hinges and is making contact with the whole of the door rubber when it’s shut.

This problem could be caused by any number of things to do with the fuel or ignition system, or even a sensor that is not giving the on-board computer the information it needs to light the fire. But since your car is now almost 20-years-old, there’s a very good chance that the problem is a fuel pump that has simply stopped working. These pumps have a finite lifespan, and when they stop, they often just quit on the spot, leaving you stranded.

The other possibility in a Pajero is that the crank-angle sensor has failed. Without this functioning, the computer cannot determine which cylinder it should be firing when, and that will also put a stop to play. It’s a relatively common Pajero thing.